For Americans living abroad
The money side of moving abroad, finally explained straight.
Transfers, banking, and US taxes for American expats: organized by destination country, sourced from official references, and honest about the catches. No vendor fluff.
Most Americans overpay their bank about $137 on a $5,000 transfer. Here's the fix.
USD
Where to start
The three money problems of moving abroad
Get these right and the rest is detail. Each links to the full playbook.
1-3%
quietly added to your exchange rate by a typical bank
Move money cheaply
See what a transfer actually costs, and the cheapest way to send a relocation lump sum without the bank markup.
Compare transfer costsFATCA
the US law that makes some foreign banks reject Americans
Bank as a US citizen
What each country actually needs (a NIF, a CURP, an NIE) and the expat-friendly fallbacks for when a bank says no.
How to bank abroad$10,000
the foreign-account balance that triggers an FBAR filing
Get US taxes right
You still file with the IRS from abroad. FEIE vs the Foreign Tax Credit, when FBAR and FATCA kick in, all without the panic.
FEIE vs Foreign Tax CreditGuides by destination country
Each country covers transfers, banking, US + local taxes, investing, and residency routes.
EUR 
Portugal 1-bed city rent ≈ $1,610/mo
MXN 
Mexico 1-bed city rent ≈ $1,186/mo
EUR 
Spain 1-bed city rent ≈ $1,508/mo
GBP 
United Kingdom 1-bed city rent ≈ $3,073/mo
CAD 
Canada 1-bed city rent ≈ $1,652/mo
EUR 
Germany 1-bed city rent ≈ $1,504/mo
EUR 
France 1-bed city rent ≈ $1,609/mo
THB 
Thailand 1-bed city rent ≈ $677/mo
EUR 
Italy 1-bed city rent ≈ $1,275/mo
EUR 
Ireland 1-bed city rent ≈ $2,517/mo
EUR 
Netherlands 1-bed city rent ≈ $2,708/mo
AUD 
Australia 1-bed city rent ≈ $2,543/mo
JPY 
Japan 1-bed city rent ≈ $1,289/mo
AED 
United Arab Emirates 1-bed city rent ≈ $2,454/mo
CRC 
Costa Rica 1-bed city rent ≈ $955/mo
EUR 
Greece 1-bed city rent ≈ $720/mo
Informational only: not financial, tax, or legal advice, and not an official government resource. Tax rules, treaties, and bank policies change and depend on your specific situation; always confirm against official sources and a qualified cross-border professional before you move money, file, or make a decision. Expat Money Hub is independent and is not a bank, broker, or tax adviser.